


I'm Seeing Stars

by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: A mixed bag mostly staring Shiro, Because SURPRISE it's me, Birthday, Fluff Prompts, Gen, Science Experiments, Team as Family, WAFF
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-08-31 05:25:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8565730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticReactions/pseuds/BossToaster
Summary: Fluff Prompts from Tumblr, each about 1k1. The paladins celebrate Shiro's birthday2. Shiro and the Black Lion talk, with bonus Hunk.3. The paladins take part in an experiment.4. Matt and Keith brag about discuss Shiro, unaware he can hear them5. Hunk and Shiro bond over a shared interest6. The lions become lion-sized (and also real) for Shenanigans.7. Bikers Against Child Abuse AU8. Pidge tries to adopt a pet.  Allura and Coran are confused.





	1. Shiro's Birthday

The dining room was dark when Shiro stepped in.

At first he paused, mentally checking his internal clock.  It was definitely past the time everyone should be up.  And nothing had happened the previous day that would have made them all sleep in.

Huh.

Brow still furrowed in confusion, Shiro turned on his heel, preparing to go track down the others.

But a hiss of breath made him pause.

“No, he can’t-”

_ “Shhh!  Shut up!” _ Something else murmured harshly.

Shiro froze in place, then spun again.

There was shifting in the dark room.

Oookay.

Taking a step forward, he reached for the panel on the wall and turned on the lights.

“Surprise!”  The wave of sound made Shiro jolt, even when he’d been expecting  _ something.   _ Everyone jumped up, and Lance blew into something small and colorfully, and it let out a flat-sounding warble.

He stared at everyone, still frozen in place.  “Um.  Thank you?  Surprise what?”

Everyone turned to look at Pidge, who frowned thoughtfully.  “Your birthday?  It said it was today in your file.”

Shiro closed his eyes for just a moment, processing that.  “You have my file?”  But then he shook his head.  “It’s the 10th?”

“Yes, it is the tenth of your Novembers!” Coran told him cheerfully.  He tossed a handful of confetti at Shiro, showering it over him.  “Congratulations on this day of your birth.  How old are you now?”

Shiro shook his head, sending the bits of paper all around.  “Thank you.  To everyone.  Sorry, I had no idea what day it was.  I stopped keeping track.”  He inclined his head toward Coran.  “I’m twenty-five.”

Coran paused, then frowned.  He and Allura shared a careful glance.  “I’m sorry, how old?”  He asked.

“Twenty-five.”  Shiro frowned at their wide-eyed looks.

Moving over, Hunk pulled him into a hug, squeezing Shiro tight.  “Happy birthday!  It’s probably not your usual birthday breakfast food, but we have that hot chocolate stuff we made.”

Keith snorted.  “I think that  _ is _ Shiro’s usual birthday food.”

Shrugging, Shiro nodded and patted Hunk’s back.  “I don’t have much in the way of tradition for this, so anything you make will be a step up, I promise.”

Shiro was half-shoved to the table and quickly surrounded, with Lance chattering off one ear about what they should do that day instead of training (‘it’s  _ cruel _ to make you train on your birthday!’), and Pidge a warm, comforting weight against his left arm.

And it was a little overwhelming.  Shiro’s birthdays tended to be quiet, and half the time all but forgotten by even himself.  Growing up, he’d often been alone for them, and so he’d just stopped caring.

But it didn’t seem like it was an option here, especially as Hunk trotted out bowls of something that smelled sweet (jury was out on how it would taste).

Allura sat next to Keith, frowning thoughtfully.  “I have a question.  How long are one of your Earth years?”  She tugged anxiously at the base of her ear.

“Yeah, that’s what it means,” Keith replied.  “It’s 365 days. Though I think your days are slightly longer than ours.”

“By about an hour,” Pidge replied.  “We don’t notice because human circadian rhythm is actually about 25 hours.  They’ve done testing.”

Allura let out a sound of relief.  “Oh!  Goodness.  Always that many?”

“Every few years it’s different by about a day,” Hunk replied.  “Why?  How long is an Altean year?”

“It varies between 30 and 40 days,” Allura replied.

Oh.  Shiro’s eyes went wide.  “No wonder you looked so spooked,” he murmured.  As far as they knew, he’d just said he was about two years old.

Unable to help it, Shiro let out a snicker.

Much more relaxed now, Coran reached over Pidge’s head to wrap an arm around Shiro’s shoulder.  “You can imagine our confusion.”

“That actually explains a lot,” Hunk murmured thoughtfully.  “I thought it was weird you were in your 600s.”

Lance’s brows winged up as he did the mental math.  “Damn.  Coran looks good for in his 60s, though.”

“That’s probably a species difference,” Keith replied, shrugging.  “Now, can we get the presents?”

“Dude, that was supposed to be a surprise,” Lance moaned, and judging by the way he slumped, he tried to kick Keith in the shin.  Instead, Allura jolted in her chair, then glared at him.  “Oh.  Ooops.”

Shiro’s eyes went wide.  “You didn’t have to-”

“Too late,” Pidge replied, just a tad smug.  “Already happened.  Might as well accept it.”

Hunk nodded.  “And eat first.  I don’t know how long this will keep at room temperature.  Then presents.”

Watchy the rowdy chaos for a moment, Shiro ducked his head and smiled.

Birthdays hadn’t been special in years.  But this one was.

And there was no reason he couldn’t start a new tradition.


	2. Black Lion Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro and the Black Lion have a Talk.
> 
> With bonus Hunk Hugs.

Shiro sat in the empty hanger and stared up.

The black lion loomed over him, huge and dark.

It had almost been a week since they were all reunited, and most of that time had been spent on repairs, getting both themselves and the lions back to health.

Shiro’s side throbbed just thinking about it.

Despite the fact that the black lion had fared the best out of all of them, Shiro hadn’t so much as touched it since.

Frankly, he was scared to.

Footsteps behind him made him pause, and Shiro turned to see Hunk walk in.  After a moment, Hunk settled down beside him and joined him in staring.  “Hey.  We were wondering where you disappeared to.”

Shrugging one shoulder, Shiro pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.  “Just needed a moment.”

Hunk hummed his understanding.  For a long time, he didn’t say anything.  But then he turned to look at Shiro.  “We can talk about it, if you want.”

“There’s not much to say,” Shiro replied.  “It is what it is, and we are what we are.”

Silence hung in the air, and then Hunk snorted.  “Well, that’s some bullshit.  If one of us said that to you, you’d talk our ear off about it.”

Shiro stiffened and frowned at Hunk.  “What?”

“Oh, ‘it is what it is.  Nothing we change, we’re all stuck like this.  Guess we give up now.’  Please.  You don’t believe that.  You help us change for the better all the time.”  Hunk looked at him, shoulders set in quiet confidence. 

It made him look much older.  For some reason, that made Shiro’s chest tighten.

But Shiro shook his head.  “This is different.  You can’t force the lions.”

Hunk’s brows rose.  “Exactly.  And it worked before, so it’ll work again.”

Head down, Shiro shrugged.  Hunk sounded like this was so obvious and clear, simple as an answer on a math test.  And it didn’t seem so easy to him.

“We can prove it now,” Hunk finally said, voice nearly chipper.  Shiro was pretty sure he’d picked up the tone from Lance.

“What?” Shiro bit his bottom lip, eyes widening.  “Just...?”

Hunk considered him, then nodded.  “Sure.  Better to know now, right?  We’ll be able to react better if we know there are problems.  Before we get attacked again.”

Flinching, Shiro nodded and closed his eyes.  Hunk was right.  He was avoiding this and it was going to cause problems.  They needed to know so they could work around him, and-

Hunk’s arm wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him close.  “Hey.  Quit it.  I didn’t say that to make you feel bad.  I said it to dare you.”

Eye snapping back open, Shiro turned to look at Hunk, who smiled back.  “Oh.”  He swallowed, then nodded.  “You’re right anyway.  We should know.”  Then he stood and took a deep breath.

“Hey, Shiro?”  Hunk smiled up at him, gaze fond.  “Go.  Be great.”

Despite himself, Shiro’s lips quirked up.

Then he stepped forward.

The black lion’s eyes lit up, and Shiro’s breath caught.  He’d half expected them not to, nevermind that he’d flown to the castle after the wormhole had scattered them.  The lion ducked down, mouth open, and Shiro stepped inside.

For a moment, he hesitated again.  But he remembered Hunk outside, waiting, and he didn’t want to disappoint him just because he was nervous.  So Shiro sat down in the chair and closed his eyes.

Immediately, he felt the familiar internal purr of the black lion connecting to him.

Then why?  Why had he been thrown out into space?  Why had Zarkon been able to take control?

There was a pause, so quick Shiro nearly didn’t notice it.  

Then he felt something like electricity under his skin, like a power surge that took away his control.  And after a moment, a sheepish, nostalgic feeling.  Scared, fragile hope.  The thought that it might all be a misunderstanding, that the betrayal wasn’t what it seemed.

It occurred to Shiro that the black lion had been asleep for 10,000 years, same as Allura and Coran.  Everything that had happened back then was still fresh.  And to the black lion, it had been deeply personal.

Then, another purr, louder than before, and a possessive, crowding feeling.  If the lion had been Shiro’s size, it would be rubbing against him hard.  He was the black paladin.  He was the chosen.  And he was good, and he was going to stay.  He wasn’t going to go away and change like the last one.

The black lion wanted him.  The black lion had chosen him.  And he’d been ejected to protect him and out of the charged remained of a broken relationship.

It wasn’t because of Shiro.

Vaguely, Shiro realized he was crying, but it wasn’t until the black lion sent him a quiet nudge about leaking that he reached up and wiped it away.  “I understand.”

The got a purr in return.  And a chiding thought that he would think otherwise.

Smiling, even if it trembled around the edges, Shiro nodded.  “Sorry I doubted you.”  Smug agreement was his answer.  Why on earth would he ever doubt the black lion, with all the years and power it had?  He snorted in response, and sent back the image of a mewling, newborn lion cub.

The console dimmed, and Shiro got the impression the lion was sulking.

It was tempting to stay for a while longer and just talk, but there was something that always needed doing, and Hunk was still waiting.  So he stood, and he felt the possessive pressure again before the mouth opened, and he was able to walk out.

Hunk was still there, though now he was standing.  When Shiro walked out, he didn’t speak.  He just stepped forward and pulled him into a hug.

And damn if Hunk didn’t have the best damn hugs in the universe.  Soft and gentle but enveloping.  For once, Shiro leaned in easily, without the guilty feeling that he should be stronger for them.

“Told you so,” Hunk said fondly.

Shiro laughed.  “Yeah, yeah you did.  We should know better than to disagree with you.”

“Damn right.”


	3. Experiments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Humans are the "hold my beer, I got this" species, and you can't take that from me.

“I don’t understand,” Allura murmured, staring at them all.  “We have this data already.”

Pidge pushed up her goggles and shrugged.  “You do.  We don’t.  And how are we going to learn if we don’t see it?”

Shaking her head slowly, Allura gestured to the abandoned pad on the desk.  “You could watch the footage.”

“That’s no fun,” Lance started, then jolted as Hunk gently elbowed him.  “I mean, it’s not as effective as trying it for ourselves.  Besides, humans believe if you want to prove data, it needs to be repeatable.  So we’re just testing your findings.”  At the narrow look that earned him, Lance held up his hands.  “Not that we believe you’re unreliable!  Just that-”

“It’s part of our scientific culture,” Shiro interjected smoothly, giving Allura his best ‘I’m an adult, I’m totally reasonable’ smile.  Unluckily for her, she still mostly believed it, because she began to settle.

Hunk nodded.  “And it won’t take long anyway.  Plus, call it teamwork exercises.  And learning!  It’s all very good uses of our time.”  He glanced at Shiro for back-up and got a sedate nod in response.

Finally, Allura glanced at Keith, brows up.  He shrugged.  “I just want to play with the hoverboard,” he said.

With a groan, Allura threw up her hands.  “Alright.  Don’t kill yourselves.  I’m going to do something productive.”  She shook her head and stalked off, the mice trailing after her skirts.

“Good enough for me!” Lance cried, pumping a fist.  He picked up the prototype and raised it over his head.  “I call first!”

Pidge shrugged.  “Sure, alright.”  Pulling out her pad, she nodded.  “Okay, get on and I’ll turn on the magnetic lock.”  

Once Lance had put down the vaguely skateboard shaped slab of metal and stepped onto it, Pidge pressed something on her pad.  Lance jolted, his balance affected by the sudden inability to lift his feet.  “You’ll make it controllable later, right?  You can’t do, like, a quarter of the tricks I want to like this.”

“It was literally made yesterday,” Pidge snapped.  “You want it, add it yourself.”

“What she means is that this is a very early model,” Hunk stepped in, one hand up.  “And that we put a lot of time in it, so maybe suggestions for future models can wait until tomorrow.”

Lance inclined his head.  “Fair enough.  Still, you won’t get the full experience.”  He waggled his brows at Pidge and Hunk, lips curled up at the edges.

Expression flat, Pidge pressed the button.  The board under Lance’s feet bucked and jolted a foot off the ground, raised by a mix of the repulsors in the floating technology of the castle and an intricate system of magnets.

Caught off guard, Lance’s arms windmilled, and he nearly toppled forward.  As he moved, Shiro could see the way the technology reacted.  Leaning forward made it accelerate, and Lance started to skim forward faster, but there also seemed to be a tug as the magnets tried to keep the board level and still one foot high.

“Okay, okay,” Lance muttered, leaning back hard.  He started to reverse and wobbled again, but caught himself.  “No, okay, I got this.  We’re good.  I’m good.”

Pidge watched him carefully, though now she was smiling. “I have the sudden urge to call you a chicken.”

“Only because I’m <i>fly</i>,” Lance returned easily, buffing his fingers on his jacket.

Keith frowned, then his brows furrowed.  He turned to look at Shiro, a question in his eyes.  Reaching over, Shiro gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder and shook his head.  It was just a reference, nothing to worry about.

Sighing, Keith nodded and looked pained.

Shiro could identify.  References weren’t very funny when you didn’t get the joke.  He knew this one, but most of them flew over his head, and it was hard to tell if it was because he was older or if it was a cultural thing.

Once Lance really got the hang of it, he started to circle around the room, beginning to travel up the walls.  Since it was all metal, the board reached just as well to it, but gravity and lack of momentum made going too far up impossible.  “Okay, ready for stage two!” Lance called.

Beaming, Hunk turned on his own pad.  “Okay, everyone brace yourselves.”  With lazy ease, Shiro used the clip on his belt to attach to a pole on the wall.  Once everyone was holding on, Hunk pressed a button.

The gravity turned off.  Shiro curled his legs under himself comfortably, falling back into old habits from Kerberos as easy as breathing, and enjoyed watching the others flail as the kept their balance.

The only other one unaffected by Lance, who shot passed them with a gleeful whoop. “Works much better without gravity!”  But then he paused.  “Way faster, too.”

“You’re accelerating,” Shiro reminded him, lips curled up.  “There’s only air resistance now.  Lean back.”

Lance’s eyes brightened and he nodded, bring himself back to a more controlled speed.  Then he kept his board flat and continued to dodge around the room without the need for the pulsars.

Humming thoughtfully, Pidge watched him. “Probably should have thought that.  Maybe less boost in low grav situations?”

“No,” Shiro replied, eyes bright.  “At least, not until my turn.”

Keith snorted fondly.  “Everyone thinks I’m the bad one.”

“You are,” Hunk told him cheerfully, and he grinned at Keith’s playful scowl.

Slowing to a stop - or, more accurately, accelerating backwards until he matched his forward momentum - Lance grinned at Shiro.  “You wanna go next, then?”

Shiro had been planning on letting Keith go next, both because he’d probably want to and to get a better understanding of how the board functioned.

But... well...

“Yes,” he replied, unable to suppress his grin.  Lance beamed right back and held onto the rail as Hunk reapplied the gravity, then stepped off once the magnetic locks were deactivated.  “Thanks.”

Lance shrugged.  “Hey, I had my fun.  I do know how to share, you know.”  He patted Shiro on the shoulder, then hooked himself up in return.  “Go wild.”

Shiro gave him a very toothy smile in response.

Then, the gravity turned back off and Shiro <i>rode</i>.

As excited about Kerberos as he’d been, this was why he’d joined the Galaxy Garrison.  To get to pilot new and interesting machines.

Accelerating as hard as the magnets would let him without snapping him back down, Shiro zipped up the wall, along the ceiling, and back down the other side.  Then he leaned sideways and back, until his back was angled toward the floor, and spun in a slow circle as he gently decelerated.  “Intuitive.  I like it.”

“Really?  ‘Cause I’m feeling sick just watching you,” Hunk muttered.  Shiro grinned back, not quite managing apologetic.

Finally slowing to a stop in front of them, Shiro tilted his head.  “Can this thing take two riders?”

“Sure,” Pidge replied.  She grinned, all teeth and bright eyes.  “I don’t see why not.”

Shiro nodded, then shifted forward.  “Keith?”

Beaming, Keith scrambled up behind him and held on.

“You know,” Pidge replied, all false curiosity.  “Now that you have more weight, I wonder how much momentum you can build up around turns.”

Keith laughed against Shiro’s back, while Shiro tapped his chin thoughtfully.  “Hmm.  That sounds like something we should find out before we use these in the field.”

“Exactly,” Hunk agreed, biting his bottom lip to hold back laughter.  “Who knows when we’ll need that information.  I think it’s only right our leader makes sure we’re prepared for every eventuality.”

Grinning, Shiro nodded.  “Exactly.” 

Then he leaned forward hard.

They crashed.  Badly.  But it was completely worth it.


	4. Matt & Keith Discuss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt and Keith talk about Shiro, unaware he can hear them.

“Hey, Cherry Bomb,” Matt called cheerfully.  “Have you seen Shiro?”

In the next room, Shiro paused, brows up, and glanced at the open door between them.  Then, because it was always better to know what Matt wanted before volunteering himself, Shiro ducked back behind the couch and waited.

Keith was quiet for a moment, probably thinking about it. “Not for awhile.  I think he was with your dad. Why?”

“I’m looking for him before Katie gets her claws into him,” Matt replied, and when Shiro peeked again, again, he could see Matt curling his fingers threateningly.  Keith looked unimpressed.  Before either could notice him, he pulled back, officially curious.  And a little worried.  “We’re working on a project, and she erroneously thinks her version of the code is better than mine, because she is young and foolish and doesn’t respect her wiser elders.  So we’re testing it and I need Shiro.”

There was another pause, probably as Keith absorbed Matt’s rapidfire over-explaining.  “We’re all pilots.  Why do you need Shiro?”

Matt scoffed.  “Because Shiro’s the best.”  Then he seemed to remember who he was talking to.  “No offense, but he has more hours on him.  And I’ve heard about him pulling off some frankly stupid stuff, which is optimal.”

Luckily, rather than get upset, Keith just chuckled.  “No, you’re right, he’s the best.”  And Keith sounded nothing but proud.

Curling up tighter in his chair, Shiro clapped a hand over his cheeks, hiding the forming blush.  While he struggled not squirm from the mixed embarrassment and flattery, Keith continued on.

“What do you hear about him doing?”

Matt outright cackled, and Shiro heard him sit down.  “Well, there was the time the breaks failed to engage properly.  Mind, this was all in the pilot lessons, so I only heard about it later, but apparently instead of going with training and taxiing until the ran out of momentum, Shiro decided to literally spin the thing in place until it slowed down.  Scratched the hell out of the runway, and then apparently threw up all over Johnson when he got out.”

Breath catching, Keith groaned.  “ _ That’s _ where he learned it?  He did the same thing with us a while back.”  He paused, then grunted.  Matt had probably elbowed him to get him to keep going.  “That junker bike he has?  He broke it during a test run.  Told Hunk and Pidge he knew how to work it, then couldn’t figure out the breaks so he spun until parts fell off.”

“Of course he did,” Matt replied, openly fond.  “Only Shiro.”

“It’s why he’s the best,” Keith replied, just slightly defensive.  No, that was the wrong word.  Protective.

Matt hummed.  “Oh, agreed.  He’s incredible at on-the-fly solutions.  Which is why I need him to crush Katie.”  Pause he paused and then, judging by the sound of it, patted Keith on the shoulder.  “But, I have a proposition for you.”

“Ew.”

Another silence. “Okay, first of all,  _ rude _ .  Secondly, not what I meant.  I mean... Shiro’s got an advantage over me.  He doesn’t even have to ask, ‘cause Katie will tell him any story she thinks will annoy me without a second thought.  So he’s got all this ammo against me.”

“I’m not going to betray Shiro’s trust,” Keith shot back immediately, sounding like he was saying it through his teeth.

Matt scoffed.  “And I’m not asking you to.  Just a fair exchange of stories.  Don’t you wanna know what Shiro got up to on the trip to Kerberos?”  He sing-songed.

There was a vaguely guilty silence.  “I guess,” Keith muttered.

“Oh, you so do.  Because it includes the time Shiro fell asleep and managed to get himself lodged in the ceiling.  Besides, we both know we’re not making fun of him.  He’s the best.”  Matt said it with such easy confidence that Shiro had to cover his face and curl up tighter.

Keith finally sighed.  “Okay.  Only for an equal exchange.”

There was the sound of Matt slapping Keith on the shoulder.  “Good man!  Now, I seriously have to find him.  A minute wasted is another minute for Katie to snag him and use him to make it seem like she’s right.  Which she isn’t.”

“Okay,” Keith replied slowly, like he wasn’t sure Matt hadn’t been dropped on his head recently.  “I’ll let you know.”

“Atta boy,” Matt replied fondly, and when Shiro dared another quick peek, he saw him ruffle Keith’s hair, who looked much less happy about it than usual.  “Alright, see you later, Dynamite.”  He hurried out the way he came, and Shiro heard him start to jog once he was out of the room.

Keith sighed, then chuckled.  After a few minutes, he slipped out too.

Shiro stayed where he was for a long time, still curled up tightly and hiding his goofy smile.


	5. Hunk and Shiro Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It makes the noise

“Hey, Shiro?”

Shiro paused, hand hovering over one of the floating screens.  “Afternoon, Hunk,” he replied, brows up.  “Did you need something?”

“Well, sorta,” Hunk replied, sitting down next to Shiro at the table.  He placed what looked like a bundle of fabric on the table and pushed it over.  “Remember when we wanted to measure you, the other day?”

Smiling blandly, Shiro nodded.  “Vividly.”  It had involved a small flying robot that he suspected had originally been one of the Rover 2.0 prototypes, a tape measure, and being tripped.  Several times.

Returning his look with a sheepish smile of his own, Hunk shrugged.  “It worked, and nobody had to do it and be awkward.  Robot’s don’t get embarrassed.  But we were working on... well, there’s a lot of clothes on board that we don’t have a lot of use for, and Altean clothes aren’t usually designed with humans in mind.  But we have a ton of manufacturing capabilities, so we thought we could break some stuff we can’t use down and make the materials work for us.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Shiro replied.  “Do you need my help?”

Hunk shook his head.  “Nah, we got it all working pretty easily.  But, uh, we weren’t sure what to make, you know?  We wanted to test out how well it would work with our measurements.  We decided a body suit was the most efficient way, but that’s also kind of weird to run around in.  But we think we came up with a solution.”  He pushed the bundle closer to Shiro.  “This one’s yours.”

Something about his eager expression made Shiro pause.  But it was Hunk and Pidge, and while they did have a serious mischief streak, it was usually harmless.  So he took the fabric and held it up, curious.

At first, he could only see black fabric, which made Shiro think it was something color coded for their lions.  But as it unfolded, he could see the bright block of red at the shoulders, with a cut out at the bottom like a slanted triangle.

It only took a second for Shiro to figure out what he was looking at.  Then he clutched it to his chest in sheer automatic reaction.  “You made-”

“Star Fleet uniforms, yeah,” Hunk replied, nodding.  “We were gunna make you the gold uniform, but Coran still calls you ‘number one’ sometimes, so we thought it’d be funny to do this one.  If you want, we can make another, so long as this fits-”

“No!”  Shiro froze at his own outburst, but he continued to clutch the uniform to his chest.  “I like Riker,” he admitted.  He tried to fight off a blush at his own ridiculous reaction, but he was pretty sure he didn’t quite manage.  “I’m surprised you went for Next Gen.”

Hunk watched him for a moment, eyes wide, but then he beamed.  “They were the best uniforms for our test.  You want to try it on?  To make sure we got it right.”

Nodding slowly, Shiro stood.  “Alright.  I’ll be right back.”  He hurried to the nearest bathroom to change, then paused for a moment, glancing at the mirror.  The whole thing fit like a glove, and he was probably going to suggest they give about half an inch more give just for movement’s sake.  But it honestly fit better than the old shirt Keith had dug up for him.

Shiro hesitated for a moment before stepping back out.  He wasn’t embarrassed of walking around in something tight fitting.  Even if his usual clothes didn’t fit that description, they all wandered around in their armor undersuits too often for Shiro to care.  As long as his skin was covered, it wasn’t a problem.

But Shiro didn’t usually wear his interests on his sleeve, especially so literally.  He’d never had the desire to go around wearing merchandise or go to cons.  It wasn’t in his nature.  But now he was running around in a custom tailored Star Trek cosplay.

But, what did it matter, anyway?  Who was going to see it?  Either members of who team, who already knew he was fond of the show, or the aliens who probably thought this was a more sensible dress anyway.

Actually, getting Allura one of the gold command uniforms would be nice, while they were at it...

Wandering back in, Shiro rolled his shoulders for Hunk’s benefit.  “I think you did your job a little too well.  Any more fitted and I’d be vacuum sealed.”  The tugging made the fabric catch on his arm, and he frowned.  “And maybe a shorter sleeve, here.”

Hunk chuckled.  “Oops.”  He grinned at Shiro, openly enjoying his slightly shy pleasure.  “We’ll remember your arm next time, sorry about that.  We didn’t measure where to cut it off and we didn’t want to get it wrong.  But, one second, there’s one more part to this.”

Brows up, Shiro glanced down, then glanced at Hunk.  “What?”

Beaming, Hunk reached into his pocket and pulled something out.  

It was a communicator badge.

“Oh,” Shiro murmured, and he took it gently and pinned it to his uniform.  Then, on a whim, he tapped it.

It made the clicking noise.

Shiro gasped in sheer delight.

But before he could comment, it spoke.  “Hey,” Pidge called, and Shiro could hear very quiet typing.  “Cool, you got your gift?”

“It  _ works? _ ”

Hunk grinned back, resting his chin on his palm.  “Sure. It’s a bit redundant, since the helmets are better anyway, but it was a fun little project.  It seemed silly to make such perfect uniforms and then not have the working badges.”

“Implying the whole thing wasn’t silly,” Pidge replied dryly, though she didn’t sound upset.  The opposite, really.  “The fit’s good?”

Shiro cleared his throat.  “A little tight,” he admitted.  “But well done.”

“Awesome,” Pidge replied.  “But I’m kind of in the middle of something, sorry.  You like it?”

Smiling, Shiro nodded absently.  “Yes, very much.  But go ahead and go, sorry to bother you.”

“No problem.  Over and out.”

For a moment, Shiro stood there.  Then he covered his mouth to hide the beaming smile.  “It  _ made the noise _ .”

Hunk laughed.  “Yeah.  That was the hardest part, since we didn’t exactly have a recording of it.  I’m glad you appreciate it.”

Taking off the badge, Shiro flipped it over in his hand.  “Will you show me how you did it?”

Hunk paused.  “You want to?”

“Sure.  I know I’m not the kind of tech genius you two are, but I do know a little bit.  And I don’t think having extra communicators around is a bad idea, just in case.  Seems like they have their own batteries, so if the castle goes down we’re not totally reliant on the helmets.”  Then Shiro paused and smiled.  “And I just really like them.”

Nodding slowly, Hunk smiled back, color to his cheeks from the casual compliment.  “Sure, I’d be happy to.  Now?”

Shiro glanced back at the work he’d been doing, then nodded.  “If you don’t mind.  I was just reviewing some old data.  You’d be doing me a favor.”

“That works for me.  I was going to make some more anyway.  Having a hand would be great.”  Hunk stood.  “I’m glad you like it.  We weren’t sure which versions you like.”

Shiro shrugged.  “I like most of them.  But I do like Next Gen best.  Picard is my favorite captain.  I was never very invested in Kirk.”

Head tilted, Hunk looked him over.  “That makes a lot of sense, actually.”  Before Shiro could do more than glance over, Hunk nodded.  “Alright, everything’s in the lab.  And we can make sure Pidge isn’t building something dangerous while we’re there.”

“So you can help?” Shiro muttered dryly.

Resting a hand on his chest, Hunk gasped.  “I would never.”  At Shiro’s stare, he beamed.  “C’mon, I’ll change into my uniform too and we’ll make a party out of it.  Too bad we don’t have episodes.”

“When we get back to Earth, we’ll watch some,” Shiro promised, voice soft.

Hunk paused, then nodded.  “Yeah.  Yeah, we will.”  Then he laughed, if quieter than before.  “We’re going to spend days just watching TV when we get back.”

That was fine with Shiro, because it meant they were going to spend plenty of time together, even once they returned.  And that was what he really cared about.


	6. The Lions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Giant robot lions become earth-sized living lions.
> 
> Shenanigans are had.

“Ooof,” Shiro groaned, as he was once again knocked to the ground.

Black put both her paws on his chest and sat, tail curled contentedly.  Then she glanced around the room, the very picture of regal control.

All the light touched was her domain, apparently.

When Shiro tried to sit back up, she pressed down with her paws, sending him right back down, so Shiro sighed and officially gave up.

At some point, he’d gotten used to the weird pseudo-magical bullshit that being a paladin entailed.  While the lions becoming, well, _lions_ was strange, it wasn’t enough to throw him off that much anymore.

Mind, it wasn’t a great idea. Since Voltron and all.  But it was going to be a couple of hours before Coran figured out what the hell had happened anyway, and in the meantime, they were catsitting.

In his head, Black huffed.  On his chest, her claws extended pointedly.

No, the lions were humansitting, it seemed.

Shiro rolled his eyes in response, because the humans were the ones who were being interrupted, but the argument wasn’t worth it.

Tail lashing, Black stared down her muzzle at him, all smug confidence.  It wasn’t worth it because she would win.  Because she was always right, according to herself.  And while she might let Shiro throw around some orders when the lions were metal and huge, that didn’t mean she was going to let him think he was _in charge_.

Shiro closed his eyes and let out a slow breath.  He wondered what the others were up to.  Black hadn’t let anyone, lion, human or Altean, near him since she became this.

 _You need sleep_ _,_ she said.   _You do not rest enough.  They will leave you be and you will sleep_.

Never mind that shoving him on the floor and telling him to nap wasn’t at all effective.  But Shiro had enough connection to the lion’s mind to know that sleeping, if it happened, was a side benefit.

Mostly, Black just knew that her previous paladin had gone rogue, and she didn’t know why.  So she was going to pin him down and keep him close and not let anyone mess with him.

Sighing, Shiro reached up and scratched behind her ears.  Black leaned into the touch, letting out a purr that still sounded like an engine revving.  It was sweet, at least.

Though it would have been nice if she’d waited for him to be on a couch first.

Thundering paws made Shiro pause, and he tilted his head back in time to see Green barreling toward him, something metal in her jaws.  She vaulted over Shiro’s legs, ignoring Black’s warning hiss, and then dove behind the couch, the green tail visibly lashing over the top.

“Green!” Pidge howled, tearing into the room after. “Give it _back_ .”  She darted passed and climbed over the back of the couch, trying to catch Green from above.  There was a yowl, and Green shot out from the other side and curled defensively against the wall, eyes bright with mischief.  “You know _exactly_ what it is, don’t give me that shit.  No investigation needed.  Give it back!”

Green just continued to watch, her rear raised playfully.  

Pidge whirled, wild-eyed.  “Shiro, help!”

Eyeing Black, Shiro’s brows rose.  “I’m a little stuck.  You gunna help?”

In response, Black yawned and curled up, resting her head on Shiro’s chest, right below his neck.  She rumbled to him, then nuzzled in.

Shiro looked back at Pidge.  “She says she dealt with Green for the past 10,000 years, you can deal with it for the afternoon.  Apparently it builds character.”

Narrowing her eyes, Pidge pointed at them both, shoulders up and aggressive.  “You only say that when you don’t feel like fixing things.”

“Mm, yeah.” Shiro agreed easily.  “True.”

Pidge stepped off the couch and bent at the waist, staring at them both.  “If I blow up this castle out of sheer frustration, I’m blaming the both of you.”

In response, Black rumbled lazily and Shiro gave a thumbs up.  “Roger that.”

Before Pidge could continue her tirade, Green took advantage of her distraction and darted for the door, tail flagged high.

“Goddammit!”  Pidge sprinted after.  “I’m going to get all of you back.  I’m going to paint all the lions _tie-dye_.”

Shiro closed his, enjoying the mental picture.  “Groovy.”  Black’s tail lashed in disapproval, but apparently not enough to get up.

They stayed on the floor for several minutes, Shiro mentally prodding Black to let him up and Black mentally prodding him to let her nap.

Then there was a crash outside, and they both sat up in sudden unison.  A painted groan floated in from the hallways.

And it said more than Shiro liked about their lives that he recognized the voice just from that.  “Keith, buddy?  You okay?”

“Yeah,” he replied, though his voice was strangled.  “I think so.”

That was enough of a problem that Black climbed off Shiro without needing to be asked, and he walked to the door, peering in.

Keith was leaning against the wall, looking ruffled like he’d fallen there.  Red had her face pressed into his jaw, nudging his head into the wall with every demanding press.  “She wanted attention,” he grumbled.  “And no wasn’t an option.”

Making a dangerous sounding hissing noise, Black stalked forward.  Red froze, ears suddenly folding back, and she backed off quickly.  But Black didn’t stop until she had Red crowded against the other wall, grumbling like a parent quietly chewing out their misbehaving child.

Reaching down, Shiro plucked Keith off the floor and set him back down, brushing off his shirt and ruffling his hair.  “You okay, there?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.  She’s just-” Keith paused as Red looped around Black and headed toward them.  Apparently the scolding was over.  She moved to sit in front of them both, then looked back pointedly at Black.  Then, slowly and deliberately, she reached out a bright red paw and rested it on Shiro’s leg, barely touching.

Black _yowled_ and jumped after her.  Making a huffing noise almost like a laugh, Red darted behind both their legs and actually stuck her tongue out at Black, earning her another furious spitting noise.

Brows up, Shiro eyed Keith.

Keith held his hands up.  “She didn’t learn it from me!”  He jolted as Red tried to dart past him, only for Black to slam into her.  The two went down in a furious, yowling ball.

“You know, they seemed a lot more dignified as robots,” Shiro sighed.

“Speak for yourself,” Keith muttered.  “Red was always kind of bratty.”  But he nodded.  “They’re worse like this, though.”

Shiro sighed and cupped his hands.  “Hunk!” He called.  “Are you and Yellow still nearby?”

There was a pause, then Hunk’s voice floated back.  “Yeah, why?”

“We could use a referee.”

Sighing, Hunk came out of one of the rooms, Yellow padding calmly behind him.  Earlier, Yellow had been roaming in a way that looked like patrolling, which Shiro heartily approved of.

Come to think of it, that was about the time Black had started getting serious about being protective.  Hm.

At the new audience, Black sprang back and sat down, licking one paw.  She projected a sudden air of regality, as though she would never do something as undignified as get into a fight with another lion.

Red, on the other hand, stayed flopped over on her side, yowling dramatically.  From here, Shiro could see she didn’t look injured, and if she was hurt then Keith would be reacting more.

Huffing, Yellow walked between them both and sat down pointedly, blocking them from each other.

Hunk eyed all three, then raised his brows at Shiro.  “Wanna explain?”

“I just needed an audience,” Shiro replied calmly.  “You were close, and Green ran off.  Besides, last I checked, Lance was still trying to get Blue to stand up.”

Grinning, Hunk nodded.  “He’s still at it.” He glanced at the three lions.  “If you and Black want to escape while the going’s good...”

Shiro considered.  Red would continue to bother anyone around, no doubt, but Yellow had all the patience of an unyielding rock. And if worse came to worse, Yellow would just lay on top of Red until she quieted.  

He sent Black a pointed thought that the black lion and paladin were supposed to be the calm ones.  Her tail lashed and she lifted her nose, ignoring him.

“I’d appreciate that,” Shiro replied. “I’m going to look in on Lance and see if I can’t track down Green and Pidge.  Before she makes good on her sabotage threats.”

Hunk glanced at Red again, like he wasn’t sure that was a good deal.  But then he nodded, looking satisfied.  Apparently he’d won out in his mental ‘annoyance’ calculus.  “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Shiro drawled back.  He walked past Black, giving her wide berth so she couldn’t knock him down again, and then moved into the room Hunk had left.

Blue was draped over the back of one of the couches like a jungle cat. She seemed to have chosen the spot strategically, since it was directly under one of the brighter lamps in the room, probably giving off heat.

Flopped out on the actual seat of the couch, Lance waved what looked like a ribbon on a stick in a distinctly sulky manner.  “Hey,” he muttered, tilting his head back to look at Shiro.  “Everyone else having fun?”

“I’m gunna go with no,” Shiro drawled, brows up.  “Still no success?”

Lance dangled the ribbon in front of Blue’s muzzle, waving it enticingly.

Blue lifted a huge, lazy paw and put it on Lance’s face, gently pushing him back down.

Using his natural hand to hide his smile, Shiro nodded.  “I see.”

“We get magic real life lions for an afternoon and she doesn’t want to _do_ anything,” Lance muttered.  “Just nap in the sun.”  He paused.  “Apparently the hangers are cold.”

Shiro’s brows rose, and he eyed Black, who nodded back.

“Well, we’ll fix that,” Shiro said.  “And you can still bond with your lion without playing.”

Pouting, Lance sighed.  “Yeah, but playing is fun.”

Black moved closer and nudged Shiro’s arm, making it dangle pointedly.  Then she pointed with her muzzle to Blue, her lips curled mischievously.  Her hint completed, she sat back down and returned to licking her paw and grooming her ears.

Glancing down at his wrist, Shiro’s brow furrowed.  Black wasn’t fond of direct advice, it seemed, but had to be- oh.

“Hey, Lance,” Shiro called.  When he looked over, Shiro pointed his wrist to the floor and pressed a button.

A tiny laser dot appeared on the floor.

Lance’s eyes went wide, and he grinned.  Nudging Blue’s side, Lance waited till he had her attention, then aimed at the wall until the red dot appeared.

Blue’s head suddenly jolted up, and she tensed and then jumped.

The force her leap sent the entire couch tipping over, and Lance screeched as it teetered back and crashed onto  the ground.  Blue followed the line of his flailing, hopping right back over him as she chased the now speedy dot.

Covering his face, Shiro sighed.  Then he eyed Black, who continued to lick, now looking very pleased with herself indeed.

Who knew the Black Lion was kind of a bitch?

Shiro sighed and moved over to the couch, using the metal arm to yank it back upright.  Lance rolled off, looking ruffled but grinning, and he continued to circle his arm and watched Blue run around.  “Thanks for the tip,” he chirped.

“No problem,” Shiro replied blandly.  “You guys have- fuck!”

Black hopped onto his back and send him crashing onto the couch, then laid down contentedly on his back.  She licked the back of his neck.  

Well, he got his couch.

Shiro sighed and gave up.  Between himself and Black, he knew who would win the battle of wills.

Besides, maybe Black had a point about that whole resting thing.  And her weight was warm and comforting on his back, if a bit heavy.

The lights went out, and Shiro heard Lance chuckle.  “I don’t think you’re getting up anytime soon.  Night, Shiro.”

His response was muffled by the pillows.  

This afternoon was silly and ridiculous and frustrating.

But it might be worth it to be able to cuddle his lion.

When Black purred against his back, nuzzling in, Shiro changed his mind.

It was definitely worth it.


	7. Bikers Against Child Abuse AU

It was amazing, how kids just knew that Hunk was a good guy.  They all gravitated to him, immediately spotting his soft nature and talents for hugs.  There wasn’t a child in the world (or at least, one comfortable with touch at all) that could resist a Hunk Hug (tm).

Adults, however, weren’t nearly as perceptive.

Which was part of why this worked.

“We brought you something,” Lance told the girl, kneeling so he was at eye-line.  She let go of Hunk, just a bit reluctantly, but stubbornly held onto his huge hand.  Hunk smiled down at her, and she gave a shy smile back.  “Since you’re one of us now, you should get to show it.  Like me, see?”  He turned around, showing her the patch on the back of his vest.

Gwen’s eyes went wide.  “I’m one of you guys?”  When Lance craned his neck and tried to see the patch, he spun in place like a dog chasing it’s own tail.  She giggled and covered her mouth, looking unsure if she was supposed to be doing that.

“Of course you are,” Pidge said plainly.  “You’re smart and tough.”  Gwen’s dark cheeks took on a red tint.  “You want to try it on?”

“Yes!”

Pidge nodded to Keith, who pulled out a vest in the right size from their bag.  He tossed it to her, and she caught it easily, then held it up for Gwen to see.  “You like it?”

Eyes wide, Gwen nodded.  “Yes.  Can I put it on?”

Pidge handed it over, and Gwen pulled it over her shoulders, then ran her hands along the fabric.  She spun around so they can see.  “Is it okay?”

“It’s perfect,” Shiro replied, and she beamed at him, wide enough he could see a missing tooth.

Shiro tended to hang back, in these initial meetings.  It was hard to tell how the kids would feel about him before getting to know them.  Often, a large, obviously muscled man was a source of fear rather than comfort, at least at first.

However, they hadn’t meet a kid yet who didn’t appreciate a bodyguard who was ‘part robot’.

Keith hung back as well, but less out of worry.  This just wasn’t one of the kids he tended to specialize in.  When the kids were quiet and withdrawn, when they didn’t really want to talk or engage, that was where Keith shone.  He understood silences and walls, and he’d sit patiently with them, no need for words, until they felt comfortable around him.

But, it was pretty clear Gwen didn’t need that kind of reassurance.  She had opened up easily, rebounding in this new environment, and Shiro admired the way kids could bounce back.  Now, she was eagerly asking Hunk what all his tattoos meant, and judging from the low voice Pidge was speaking to her in, she was probably going to learn how to pick locks by the end of the day.

Shiro had originally meant to curtail that habit of Pidge’s, but he saw the logic in it.  Besides, it was a useful talent.

He nodded to Keith, inclining his head toward the rest of the group.  “You want to join in?  I was going to answer some emails and make sure she’s all set up.”

Nodding, Keith clapped him on the shoulder.  “You should join in when you’re done.”

“Not round one,” Shiro replied, the answer as familiar as the argument.  Keith eyed him, then looked at Gwen, brows up.  It was true she didn’t seem skittish, but Shiro wasn’t going to push it.  There was time.

“Alright,” Keith replied, shrugging.  Then he went to sit next to Gwen, who immediately turned and asked him a slew of questions about what kind of tattoos did  _ he _ have and why did he have all those big holes in his ears?

Shiro watched for a moment, fondness settling in his stomach like hot chocolate.  Then he pulled out his phone and sat down.  It was a pain, to respond with only his left hand, but the prosthetic was too clumsy for the touchscreen of his phone (and he’d shattered at least one screen that way, when he wasn’t paying proper attention).  Besides, most everyone who he emailed was used to short responses from him when he was out and about.

“How’s it work?” Gwen suddenly asked, closer than Shiro had realized he was.  He started, just slightly, but she frowned and gave him far too sympathetic a look for someone her age.  “Sorry!  I didn’t meant to-” She bit her bottom lip.

Shiro shook his head.  “It’s okay, I was just started.  Don’t worry.”  Her eyes were still too wide and just slightly nervous, so he barrelled on.  “You mean this?”  He waved the prosthetic at her, opening and closing it to show her.  Then he pulled down his sleeve farther, so she could see the wire through the back of the palm and up his arm.  “When I move my arm right, it closes.”  And seeing her open amazement, he nodded to Pidge and Hunk.  “They helped make it.”

“You did?” Gwen asked, turning.  Her eyes shone with admiration.  “How did you do it?  Can I do it?”

Hunk and Pidge shared a quick look between them, just shy of calculating.  “Sure,” Pidge replied, still in that casual tone.  “Next time we meet I’ll bring you some books and we’ll talk you through it.”

This child was doomed to STEM now.  Shiro grinned as Gwen’s mouth fell open, and she nodded eagerly.  There was just a hint of redness to her eyes, but it never spilled over, so they let it go.  Better not to potentially embarrass her by pointing it out.

“Can I see more of Mr. Shiro’s arm?” She asked.  “Next time.”

Hunk glanced at Shiro over her head, brows up in question.  He nodded.  Sure, why not?

“If you want,” he replied.  “But you don’t have to call him ‘mister’.”

That made Gwen pause, and her next nod was a bit hesitant.  “Okay,” she replied, not sounding certain of that at all.

Well, it could wait.  If she wasn’t comfortable with that, it was fine.

Lance sat down next to Shiro with a huff.  “I think they’ve got it from here.  I stood no chance against the power of science.”

“There’s no shame in that,” Shiro replied.  “Gives you a break from clowning.”

“I need no breaks,” Lance replied.  “I am tireless. I’m the biker energizer bunny.”  He paused.  “Shoot, now I want that on a vest.”

“Good, I have a Christmas present for you now.”  Shiro slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Save your energy.  We have an appointment tomorrow that’s probably going to be harder than this.”

Lance sighed.  “Sounds like a Keith job to me.”  He glanced over at the man in question, who shrugged.  “We’ll do our best.”

“That’s all we can do,” Shiro agreed, leaning back.

And it was nearly always enough. Shiro could live with that.


	8. Friend-Shaped

“This is enough!” Allura groaned, scrubbing on her face.  “Why do you keep doing this?”

Pidge frowned down at the lizard creature she had in her arms.  It had followed them around after they’d introduced it to the dried meat rations, and Pidge had taken to calling it Whiskers.

The lizard did not have whiskers.  It did, however, have a long tongue, nearly the length of it’s own perfectly circular body, which it used to smack the hand of whoever it wanted to feed it.

“Doing what?” Pidge asked, honestly clueless.  “I haven’t brought anything else back from a mission. I mean, other than Rover.  Rover doesn’t count.”

Coran cleared his throat, using the same diplomatic tone he used whenever the denizens of a planet sounded like they wanted to punch someone on the team.  “I believe the Princess means you as a collective.”

And yeah, okay, they had a point.  In general, they didn’t tend to keep the animals they befriended, but they did befriend a lot.  Last week, Hunk had ended up with what looked like a dinosaur sized tropical bird following him around and grooming his hair, and earlier that month Lance had spent a solid hour coaxing out what looked like a bunny crossed with a wookie out of it’s hiding place.  Eventually it was literally eating out of the palm of his hand.  And Keith had ended up very fond of some kind of scaled, many-legged creature that Allura and Coran had both absolutely refused to get within ten feet of.

As for Shiro, well…

“I don’t understand,” Allura told them, voice edged with bone deep frustration.  “Why do you keep insisting on bringing back all these creatures.  Do you know what this thing eats?”

Pidge’s brows rose.  “Well, Whiskers like eating anything Lance wants to eat, for one.”

Arms crossed, Lance scowled.  “Yes.  Yes it does.”

“What if it decides it likes the taste of living meat better than dried?” Allura shot back, hands on her hips.

A thought occurred to Shiro.  “Princess, what does the word ‘pet’ mean to you?”

Allura straightened and looked over them all, suddenly unsure.  “A small animal that you care for.  Like the mice, but without the additions, of course.”

“Would you ever keep a carnivore as a pet?”

Looking stunned at the idea, Coran shook his head.  “Of course not!  Why would you make a pet out of something that eats flesh?”

The humans shared a glance.  “Huh,” Hunk mused.  “You know, I never thought about it.  Most pets eat, like, kibble.  I know cats and dogs are technically carnivores, but you don’t usually, you know, see it.”

“With cats you do,” Lance replied, bone dry.  “When you try and step outside and there’s a present for you.”

Adjusting her glasses, Pidge held Whiskers closer to her chest.  “Humans have been domesticating animals like wolves for longer than you’ve been in stasis.  It’s one of the most common pets in the world.  We had one.”

Allura’s lips thinned.  “What are wolves?”

“Like that pack that didn’t want Shiro to leave,” Keith offered blandly.  “Four legged, furred mammals.  Canines.”

Lance snorted.  “I think Shiro wanted to stay just as much as those dog-things wanted him to.”

Shrugging, Shiro didn’t bother to deny it.  They’d been damn cute, and he liked dogs.

“Regardless, we cannot keep trying to bring these creatures on board,” Allura said, regaining her momentum.  “Shiro, I want you to be responsible for making sure of it.”

Brows up, Shiro met her eyes.  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Considering I kept the first four strays I found after escaping.”

Coran bit his bottom lip like he was hiding a smile.  “He’s got a point, Princess.”

Eyeing Whiskers, who was happily drooling all over the floor, Allura sighed.  “Just… keep them away from the mice, at least.”

Pidge beamed at the sudden give. “So Whiskers can stay?” She squeezed tighter, like Allura would change her mind and try to take the lizard away.

It made a noise like a squeaky toy.

“Is it supposed to do that?” Keith asked, voice low.

Shiro rested a hand on Pidge’s shoulder.  “I think Whiskers will be happier on his own planet than in the castle, don’t you?”

For a moment, Pidge just held on tight.  Whiskers made another squeaky noise.

“I guess,” she finally allowed, setting the lizard down.  It turned and slobbered over her hand, probably looking for food, and then tucked into itself and rolled off.

Space was weird.

Shiro squeezed Pidge’s shoulder consolingly, while she ducked her head to hide behind her glasses and bangs.

Watching her, Allura shared a truly baffled look with Coran.  “I’m sorry Pidge, but Shiro is right.  Besides, you just met it.  How…?”  She waved her hand in a rolling gesture then dropped it.

“Well,” Hunk said, each word slow and carefully chosen.  “It was friend-shaped.”

Coran blinked.  “Friend shaped?”

“Yeah,” Pidge agreed.  “Whiskers was friend-shaped.”

While Allura and Coran continued to pass ‘the humans are crazy’ looks between them, Shiro shrugged.

Because, yeah.  It was friend-shaped.  What could you do?

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to see more mini-fics like this, or send me our own prompts and tags, you can follow me on Tumblr at Bosstoaster.tumblr.com


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